


of love and encouragement

by wackpainterkid (swanandapirate)



Category: SKAM (Netherlands)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 14:57:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18576808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanandapirate/pseuds/wackpainterkid
Summary: The prompt: something about Liv’s first real gig and Noah literally standing in the front row shouting her name because he is, of course, her biggest fan ;)





	of love and encouragement

**Author's Note:**

> A lil bit more emotional than the prompt asked for but I do what I want lol

“How are you feeling?”

Liv let out a breath, trying to tame the nerves racing through her body. Her palms were sweaty, her heart was beating fast, her hands were just the slightest bit unsteady.

Noah watched her with a tilted head, his hair fell slightly, and his hand immediately followed to put it into place again, but his eyes stayed on her.

She could only give a truthful answer, he knew her too well to believe her lies.

“Nervous.”

Anyone would be nervous in this situation; it wasn’t every day she had to perform as the only headliner. And okay, it was only a small venue that lay far from the city center, it was only a Tuesday evening; there was free entry, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still her name on the poster, her name and her name alone.

“There’s no need to be.” He sounded so sure of himself and Liv wished she could borrow some of his faith in her, because the only thing she could think of was disaster scenarios: she forgot her lines, the power went out, no one came. “Liv, you’re going to be great. We’re all here to support you tonight.”

She looked into his eyes and felt the earnestness that emerged from his blue eyes. Liv nodded as her gaze moved to her boots.

She just didn’t want to disappoint anyone, they’d come here for her, to see her, to listen to her and if she fucked this up… well, let’s say fucking up was not an option.

“Look,” he said, claiming her attention again. “If you don’t feel like performing, I can always go on stage and sing my rendition of Miley Cyrus’ hit song ‘Best of Both Worlds’.”

Liv blinked in surprise, shaking her head along as she processed his words. It didn’t look like he was joking, not at all.

So, she told him something she had to tell him at least once a week. And, although the fondness that accompanied her words had grown over time, each time she uttered them she was as bewildered as the last.

“You’re so weird.”

Noah didn’t let it faze him, on the contrary **,** he just continued talking. “Or maybe I should go for ‘Gangnam Style’,” he pondered with a serious face. “I’m sure the crowd will go crazy once I start to do the dance.”

“Oh, shut up,” she told him, trying to suppress the laughter that was bubbling up. And at that moment, the moment that she completely forgot about the stress, that the love for him vanquished anything troubling her, it was okay. She was okay.

The corners of her lips rose in a smile with the realization.

“Did it work?” His eyebrow rose as he asked.

“Maybe,” she replied coyly and with a shrug, but her smile would be enough of an answer for him.

“Good.” A satisfied look graced his face. “Now go amaze everyone.” Noah squeezed her hand and winked before he left her in the backstage.

Liv watched him leave, thinking about how lucky she was that she had him. That he knew her as well as he did. Any doubts she might’ve had– about him, about them– had long vanished into thin air. They were in such a good place and she’d never been more certain.

Her phone buzzed, and she picked it off the table to check it. It was a notification.

_SHOW, today at 9 pm_

Pulling her skirt a bit straighter, she took one last big breath and went on stage.

The spot shone bright—too bright even— and Liv had to squint as she made her way to the microphone meant for her. She could barely discern any people in the dark room and she wasn’t entirely sure if that helped or if it made things worse.

She guessed she would soon find out.

After quietly clearing her throat, she spoke into the mic. Her voice resonated through the venue. “Hello everyone, thank you for coming today. My name is Liv and I’m going to sing a couple of songs for you.”

Once her eyes had gotten used to the harsh spotlights, she could start to vaguely make out the faces in the crowd. Her friends, her lovely friends, were all standing in the front row. Engel and Isa were holding the most adorable banner splattered with pink heart and golden stars– Engel’s doing most likely.

Noah was there too, standing with Ralph. But she didn’t even have to see him to know he was standing right in front of her, because she could hear him. Loudly.

“Woohoo Liv, you’re amazing!”

“Yeah!” Other voices joined him.

“I’m happy to see I’ve got such a fanbase tonight,” she said into the mic before laughing. Her fanbase whooped in response.

“My first song is called ‘Never Be Yours’, I hope you enjoy.”

The music began and she grabbed ahold of the microphone stand. She’d sung this song many times before. It was almost like muscle memory taking over, the words flowed out of her without thinking about it and before she knew it, the song had finished again.

The crowd applauded and she bowed her head in gratitude.

“For my next song, I’m going to sing a cover of a Jorja Smith song called ‘The One.’”

“Great song choice!” Noah yelled.

Liv rolled her eyes; he had been the one to suggest it.

One night, he heard her sing it as she was preparing dinner for them. That had begun a quest on his part to get her to sing it as often as possible. She refused most of the time—she didn’t want to get sick of the song—but when they were discussing her setlist and Liv wasn’t completely certain which song she should cover, Noah had simply shrugged and said that she should sing Jorja Smith. For once, Liv couldn’t deny it was the perfect song to sing and Noah had been smug about it ever since.

So, she sang it and Noah seemed as content and smug as could be, showering her with even more shouted compliments the moment she stopped singing.

By the almost end of her show, Liv was certain everyone who didn’t personally know them was wondering who that very vocal spectator was.

“This is my last song–”

“Nooo,” was the immediate reaction.

Liv smiled. “I know, sad right? But I truly think I left the best for last.”

She had.

Because this song, this song was special.

It had grown out of a hum, something she’d subconsciously do every time they were together. Every time the same melody. He had noticed, of course he had noticed. He would watch her with his gaze that made her feel too exposed sometimes and smiled before saying her name softly. Sometimes it was a question, sometimes just a remark. It was always just her name. No pressure, no demand. Just “Liv.”

The hum became clearer, more voluminous in her head, a distinct melody repeating itself over and over again. It had, unbeknownst to Noah, become their song. The song that played on a loop when she watched him in the mornings she woke up before him, when they visited museums and he gave her a meticulous explanation of the works there; it even played when they kissed as if they were part of some cheesy rom-com soundtrack.

“I’d like to dedicate this song to all of the incredible people in my life.” Him. “All of the artists.” Him. ” All of the weirdos.” Him.

It was for him.

He didn’t know she was planning on singing it here; he didn’t even know of its existence. It had been her own top-secret project. It had been a challenge because he was always around—she wasn’t complaining in the slightest— and writing a song wasn’t a particularly easy thing to hide. She’d sent him away with excuses of homework, of Skype calls with her parents in Spain, of date nights with Isa, which was actually true, but she then proceeded to let Isa listen to the song. (“Liv, you’re going to make him cry.” “Is it weird that I kinda want to?”)

This was important for her to do, because she was maybe not always the most vocal about how she felt about him, and she could be stubborn and frustrating, and they fought sometimes. But she loved him. And he deserved this.

The room was so silent you hear a pin drop and then there was a hum. It started with a hum. And Liv decided that she was happy to be able to see the faces of the crowd, because the expression on Noah’s wasn’t something she’d ever forget. His face lit up as he recognized the familiar sound and there was only amazement and curiosity in his eyes.

She didn’t break eye contact with him while she sang and she saw his surprise transform into something sentimental, more and more touching as the song progressed. And while for her first song she could sing on autopilot, now she was paying attention to every word that came out of her mouth, every emphasis she put, because it all mattered so much.

Liv sang her final note and she was about ninety percent sure that Noah was on the verge of crying. And she’d managed to shut him up. While his cheering had completely stopped, the other people in the crowd were clapping and whistling as loudly as they could, creating a thundering and overwhelming noise.

She did it.

Liv bowed one last time before exiting.

It took him less than three minutes to find her afterwards.

“Liv?”

“Yes?”

He just kissed her.

No words needed.

 


End file.
